


Latin III

by Regann



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, High School AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-07
Updated: 2011-01-07
Packaged: 2017-10-14 12:49:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/149384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Regann/pseuds/Regann
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam's bus ride in did not bode well for the rest of the school year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Latin III

Sam eyes the bright yellow school bus dubiously. Before this year, Dean has always dropped him off on the way to work, but Dean's new hours at the shop make it impossible for him to continue to be Sam's chauffeur. Unfortunately, Sam is still a year off from being able to apply for a student parking sticker, which means he's starting his sophomore year of high school facing a fate worse than death: joining the ranks of the supremely uncool who have to ride the bus.

He's only ridden the bus once since he started at C.W. Warner High, and he slowly pulls himself up onto it, looking around uncomfortably for some place to sit. Many of the other riders are watching him with similar distrust, and Sam tries to pull his massive limbs in a little closer as to not appear to look like the Sasquatch Dean accuses him of being.

Near the middle of the bus there's a kid, not glaring at him, but staring solemnly out of the window. He doesn't have his backpack or his arm or anything subtly blocking Sam's ability to sit so he heaves a sigh of relief and slides in next to him. The kid is obviously startled, looking over at Sam with wide, very blue eyes as the bus lurches into motion.

"Uh, hey," Sam says, inwardly cringing at his own lameness.

"Hello," the kid says slowly, his voice rough like he has a bad cold or one of Dean's infamous hangovers.

"I'm Sam," he tells him.

He gets a long silence and more staring. "Cas," he finally replies.

Sam doesn't know what else to say, so he nods and turns away. The streets of his neighborhood are going by in a blur outside of the window when Sam feels someone tap him on his shoulder. He half-turns to see a pretty dark-haired girl leaning over the back of his seat. "Well, hello, _Sam_ ," she says. "I haven't seen you on here before. You new?"

"No," he tells her. "Last year, I got a ride in."

She seems interested, and her voice is a strange purr Sam usually associates with the girls Dean brings home after work sometimes. "What grade are you in?"

"I'm a sophomore."

"Ooh, me too!"

Her eyes light up like she wants to say something more, but Cas's gravely voice cuts her off. "Ruby," he says, shooting her a look that makes his staring from earlier look docile. "Stop hanging over the back of the seat. No one wants to talk to you."

"Maybe _Sam_ does," she pouts.

"If he does, it's only because he doesn't know you."

"Ouch!" Ruby says mockingly, but sits back in her seat. "Way to prove why you were the loneliest boy at St. Michael's, _Castiel_." She emphasizes her point with a kick to the back of the seat.

Cas doesn't take the bait. "Ignore her," Cas advises. "She tends to cause trouble for anyone who associates with her."

"But they sure do have a lot of fun along the way!" she informs him, once more leaning over the seat. This earns her another death glare, until she sits back again.

"So you guys know each other pretty well?" Sam asks. Their high school isn't very big; he's wondering how he's managed to miss Ruby with her leather jacket and spike-heel boots, and Cas with his scratchy voice and rumpled coat through the entire year of ninth grade.

"Since elementary school," Cas sighs. "Even now, in the public system, we have classes together."

"It's not my fault there was only one advanced Latin class last year," Ruby says, still loudly butting into the conversation Cas doesn't want her involved in. "And we know I'm really good with my tongue."

Sam is fighting off a blush and ignoring the Dean-voice in his head calling him a _girl_ , as Cas actually turns in his seat to frown at her. "Why do you always go too far?"

She smirks. "Because I can." Ruby leans up to drape her arms around Cas's neck. He goes stiff as her fingers fiddle with the collar of his shirt; when one finger slides under a button as if to undo it, he grabs the wrist of the offending hand and squeezes. Hard.

"Ow!" she exclaims and yanks away from him. "Abusive asshole," she mutters.

"You should keep your hands to yourself," he reminds her mildly.

In the silence that follows as Ruby sulks and Cas ignores them both, Sam remembers something from the earlier part of the conversation. "Advanced Latin? I think I'm taking that too."

Cas's eyes widen again and he almost looks interested. "Really?"

As the bus rolls to another stop, the two boys both reach for their schedules. Sam's is stuffed down into the pocket of his jeans, while Cas's is folded inside the front pocket of his totally nerdy daily planner. They spread them out and compare as Ruby starts a verbal skirmish with whoever just boarded the bus. There, in the same dark gray ink on the same dingy almost-white paper are twin fifth periods, both for Advanced Latin III with Mrs. Harvelle.

"So we're in the same class," Sam says, not sure how he feels about it. Cas is...different, but Sam's not sure if that's bad or not.

"We are," Cas agrees.

Another sharp kick to the back of their seat makes them both turn around. Ruby is wiggling around, trying to work a hand into the pocket of her skin-tight jeans. Sam fights off another blush at the way she thrusts her hips and arches her back as she pulls out her crumpled schedule. "Fifth period, Harvelle, right?" she asks, looking down at the paper. "Oh man, I hear she's a total bitch!"

"My brother used to date her daughter," Sam hears himself saying. "She was always nice to me."

"Well, I guess we know who's gonna be the teacher's pet this year and for once it won't be our little angel," adds a new voice. Both Cas and Ruby look to the seat behind Ruby's at the guy talking, blond with a grin that Sam can only classify as evil. Definitely evil. "How's it feel to be usurped, Cas?"

"Gabriel, I've told you not to call me that," Cas says through clenched teeth.

"But you _are_ our little angel," Gabriel declares, as he ignores proper bus etiquette to change seats while the bus is still in motion. "Always behaved, always getting the good grades." He not-so-subtly tries to drape an arm over Ruby's shoulders as he slides in beside her. She pushes him away with a toss of her hair and a sharp elbow in his ribs. "Always the little suck-up."

Cas frowns at Gabriel, causing deep, premature lines to groove on his forehead. "I don't suck anything."

Both Ruby and Gabriel are in hysterics, and even Sam has to hide his laugh behind a cough. Cas simply frowns at each of them in turn before he straightens up in his seat, turning his back on all of them.

"It looks like we've already formed our own little Latin III triumvirate," Gabriel declares. "Me, Ruby, Cas." He looks at Sam. "...and new guy. I like it."

"His name is _Sam_ ," Ruby tells him.

"There are only three people in a triumvirate," Cas corrects at the same time.

"A quadivirate, then, whatever." Gabriel waves his hand around. "Point is, it's gonna be a non-stop party, am I right?"

"Oh yeah," Ruby agrees, leaning up until her mouth is really close to Sam's ear. "Right, Sam?"

Sam stutters a little, then just decides to nod as he tries to digest the reality of a sophomore year filled with the likes of the people around him: solemn Cas, outrageous Ruby, and smartass Gabriel, every morning and afternoon on the bus and every other day in his midday language class. He's not sure 'fun' is the right word.

Just when he thinks they've finally all calmed down for the rest of the bus ride into Warner High, he hears a squeal, followed by a thump. "Get your hand off my ass, you dick!"

"Like I'd touch you with a ten-foot pole! I know exactly what you've been up to this summer and unlike the little virgins in front of us, you definitely suck. Or should I say blow?"

Sam is pretty sure his face is as red as Gabriel's shirt. Beside him, Cas just sighs. "How many days are left of this school year?" he asks quietly.

"Counting today? 180," Sam tells him.

"We will persevere." Cas sighs again. "Hopefully."

Hands down, Sam thinks as the bus finally pulls up in the circle in front of the high school, he bets this will prove to be his most interesting year of school yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a high school AU meme on LJ. The request was "Something like Cas and Sam on the school bus together."


End file.
